


It was all fun and games (until you made it awkward)

by szczepter



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, This is really dumb, Thrd person POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-09 13:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1146802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szczepter/pseuds/szczepter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiyoshi helps his two underclassmen clear a misunderstanding. Which he created in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It was all fun and games (until you made it awkward)

**Author's Note:**

> *fidgets* first time posting fic here, u-um hi? I actually wrote this some time ago and posted it on my side tumblr and people liked it?? Also this is partially based on desaicedancer't (@tumblr) headcanon and I just went with it.

They’re as cute as a couple!”

Kiyoshi is positive he would choke on his soda if he was drinking one.

“Damn that was a good one.” Izuki murmurs to himself and runs off. Kiyoshi stares incredulous after him.

Kuroko helps Kagami up and the game resumes as if nothing had happened.

However, the cogs in Kiyoshi’s brain had started turning and nothing can stop them.

 

* * *

 

The next few practice sessions Kiyoshi spends on watching the freshmen duo.

They act as they usually do. Kuroko is, seemingly expressionless, but he comes out of his shell bit by bit. It’s not rocket science that from the whole team, he’s the closest to Kagami. The other first years are tentatively approaching them sometimes, but they already formed a circle and keep to themselves.

Kiyoshi muses that something should be done about this too.

But back to the other two.

After their misunderstanding after the Touou match, they seem to be even closer. Which is obviously a good thing. But Izuki’s words ring in his ears. It wouldn’t be a bad thing necessary. Not for him at least. He decides to see what the others would think.

“Hey, Hyuga.” He sits next to his friend.

“What?” Hyuga asks, taking big gulps of water.

Like with many things Kiyoshi just blurts out what he thinks.

“Do you think Kagami and Kuroko are an item?” Hyuga chokes violently and almost falls from the bench.

“What the hell Kiyoshi!?” Hyuga shouts and Riko looks in their direction, eyebrow raised. Kiyoshi pats Hyuga on the back and waves to her indicating that everything is fine. She rolls her eyes and goes back to talking to Mitobe and Izuki.

“What the hell was that about?” Hyuga asks again when water isn’t clogging his windpipe anymore.

“Well.” Kiyoshi starts. “Didn’t you hear what Izuki said?”

“When? Izuki says stuff all the time.”

“During the game with Josei. He said they were a couple.” Hyuga blinks, obviously searching his memory for the given moment Kiyoshi talks about.

“Oh that.” Hyuga shrugs.  Kiyoshi looks at him expectantly.

“Don’t tell me you believed this? It was a joke you dumbass.” Hyuga snorts. “Like they would even think about those things.”

“What do you mean?” Kiyoshi cocks his head to the side.

“What? Kagami is always so pissed at Kuroko for some reason.” Hyuga takes another gulp of water. “And Kuroko loves pissing him off.  Besides.” Hyuga pauses and makes a, not exactly disgusted but a bit weirded out face. “They are both guys.”

“Hyuga.” Kiyoshi starts.

“What?”

“Are you an old man or something?” Hyuga sputters.

“What?!” Kiyoshi laughs and waves him off. “Nevermind.”

 

* * *

 

Today Kagami is especially in a good form. It’s just practice, but he makes a lot of good plays and dunks.

Kuroko is also exhilarated, playing with addition energy and buzzing with quiet mirth.

They play freshmen versus senpais, and so far the brats are winning. Kuroko and Kagami jog of the court together, Kiyoshi behind them.

“Nice.” Kagami says and pats Kuroko on the back a bit more forcefully than necessary. Kuroko stumbles and almost falls but Kagami catches him by the elbow.

“Man, you’re a klutz.” And grins at him. Kuroko gives a tiny smile.

 _Hm_.

“Kagami.” Kiyoshi jogs closer to the two boys.

“Yeah?”Kagami asks, their jog turns into a walk.

“You needn’t be so rough.” Kagami raises an eyebrow.

“Huh? With the dunks?” He asks. “I swear I won’t break no hoops anymore.” Kiyoshi almost laughs out loud.

“No. With your friend here.” Kagami catches up.

“He can take it.” He grins and shrugs. Kuroko stays silent, but Kiyoshi knows he listens to their conversation.

“Can he? It would be no good if Kuroko can’t play because you don’t know how to contain your strength.” Kuroko finally catches up what Kiyoshi is talking about and almost stumbles again. Kagami catches him effortlessly by the back of his jersey.

“What the hell is wrong with you today? Did you forget how to walk?”

“I’m fine.” Kuroko slaps Kagami’s hand away.

Kiyoshi comes to a halt and so do the two other boys.

“You are weird today senpai.” Kagami bluntly tells him. Kiyoshi smiles, unfazed.

“Am I?” He laughs. Kagami shrugs.

“Whatever. I’ll be gentle.” He teases Kuroko and pats him on the head like a puppy. Kiyoshi laughs.

“Just be sure to use protection.”Kiyoshi answers, the mutual friendly teasing rolling easily off his tongue.

The moment the words leave his mouth, silence falls and then Kagami flushes bright crimson, his brain finally catching up. 

“What?!” He sputters and flails a bit. “W-what are you talking about?” So he was wrong about that.

He wants to laugh it off as a stupid joke.

“I was only joking guys, real-“He looks at Kuroko. The boy averts his eyes. And.

Woha. Is that a blush? It does certainly look like one. It’s subtle. Just a tint of pink on the bridge of his nose and cheeks but it’s there.

Kiyoshi cannot remember if he ever saw Kuroko get embarrassed over anything. Much less, anything which has to do with Kagami.

Oh man Kagami.

His face almost matches his hair in that moment.

Well this is awkward.

Finally Kuroko speaks.

“Kagami-kun, can we talk?” He asks, looking at his shoes.

“What? Now?” Kagami sputters. “Ah, no wait. I need to go…over there.” He says and suddenly runs off in the direction of the benches, almost tripping over his own legs.

Kuroko looks after him.

Kiyoshi feels like an ass.

It turns out both he and Hyuga were wrong.

 

* * *

 

_I messed up_. Kiyoshi thinks when he observes how Kagami pointedly avoids Kuroko outside the court. It’s not as jarring as it could be. He figures that as long as they don’t mess up their team play, there is no problem. But he needs to do something about it. He remembers how upset Kuroko was after the Touou match and how it messed with their dynamic during the game. It doesn’t affect their game  _yet_. But it’s better to do something about this now.

Their dynamic after the game, however is off. They speak little towards each other. Kagami is distracted and sometimes spaces out. Kuroko, on the other hand is all tense lines and furrowed brow.

By the end of practice one day, Kiyoshi sees him walk up to Kagami, drinking from his water bottle. He offers it silently to the taller boy. Kagami is distracted with toweling his hair and looks into the distance. When he realizes Kuroko is next to him, he flinches but doesn’t shout at him that he’s annoying for appearing out of nowhere.

He looks at the offered bottle and furrows his brow in deep concentration, and finally shakes his head.

“Ah, not thanks Kuroko.” He declines and Kiyoshi sees how Kuroko sets his mouth in a thin, angry line.

Kiyoshi then turns to look at his other teammates. He sees Koganei joking with Tsuchida and Izuki. Hyuga talking with Riko and Firihata, Fukuda and Kawahara doing laps around the gym. Only Mitobe watches silently his underclassmen with something akin to worry on his face.

Kiyoshi figures that since he messed up, he will have to clean it up. Or at least try to.

He approaches Kuroko first.

“Kuroko.” The boy in questions turns to look at him.

“Yes, Kiyoshi-senpai?” He asks and proceeds to neatly fold his towel.

“I would like to speak with you.” Kiyoshi tentatively starts. Kuroko blinks at him. Kiyoshi figures that Kuroko waits for him to start the conversation. Kiyoshi feels awkward when those big, blue eyes lock into his. Kuroko is still an enigma for him. He wonders how Kagami reads him. And then promptly remembers why he asked the younger boy to talk.

“I’ve noticed.” He starts tentatively. “That Kagami has been acting weird lately.” The mere mention of Kagami’s name makes Kuroko tense. Just a tiny bit. Kiyoshi would actually miss it, if he didn’t stand so close to the boy and observed him in that moment.

Kuroko shifts his body weight slightly from one foot to the other.

“What I meant.” Kiyoshi continues lamely. “Anything happen lately?”

 _Of course it did._ Kiyoshi wanted to smack himself.

The area around Kuroko’s eyes tenses for a moment and then it relaxes again.

“No.” He replies. And averts his gaze. Kiyoshi sighs. Kuroko, being so deep in his own shell it was very hard at times to get him out of it. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them. It was just his nature.

Plus there was something about Kuroko that just sit wrong with Kiyoshi. He supposed it had to do with his own protective nature, and that he might be overreacting and over analyzing Kuroko’s moods.

Kiyoshi puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“You’re a terrible liar Kuroko.” He smiles gently. Kuroko looks at him from the corner of his eye. Kiyoshi notes how he is wringing the towel he is holding.

“Kagami-kun has been avoiding me.” He pauses. “Again.” Kiyoshi sees how Kuroko swallows and licks his dry lips.

“Only now I think I have an idea why.”

_Oh._

“Do you?” Kiyoshi pauses. He’s a bit taken a back. He didn’t think his theory was serious. He didn’t though  _they_  would take it that serious.

 “Yes.” Kuroko replies.

“Is this about…”

“Yes.”

Well, now this was no joke.

“Are you….okay….with this?” This conversation was so awkward, but at least Kuroko didn’t unnecessarily drag it out.

Kuroko snaps his gaze back to Kiyoshi, for a moment letting his walls crumble, his big eyes shining with certain….

Pleading? Was that pleading?

And then it was gone, replaced by that emotionless mask.

“Kuroko…” Kiyoshi says incredulous.

“Please don’t make fun of me.”

“Why would I…” He stops abruptly. Oh.  _Right_. He did made fun of them. But it was unintentional. Kinda. Okay, it was kind of intentional, to rile them up and just to have some fun. It seemed that his comment brought to the surface something which both boys wanted to avoid.

Well, what’s done it’s done. Now how to fix this?

“I take you didn’t talk to him about this?”

Kuroko shakes his head. “I can’t get him alone for five minutes. And we haven’t been walking back together for a whole week.” Kuroko looks at him again, a hint of despair in his clear eyes.

Kiyoshi just hopes Kuroko won’t spew some lame line like  _Do you think he hates me?_  Or something like that.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” This is a bad idea. This is between them, and Kuroko and Kagami aren’t little kids. Plus Kiyoshi is the reason why everything is awkward. Well. Sorta.

“I don’t want to be a bother.” That takes Kiyoshi off by surprise. He expected a polite “thank you, but no”.

“Wha- Really? You want me to talk to him?” Kuroko looks at him and then nods.

“I think…It would be better.” Kiyoshi blinks. Well this is new.

“Well, okay. I can talk to him.” Kiyoshi looks at the gym clock. While they were talking everyone managed to leave already

“Now. You can go hit the showers and then go home. I’ll text you.” Kuroko nods and gathers his things.

“Thank you senpai.” He says quietly and leaves the gym.

Well, it’s the least he can do.

 

* * *

 

Kiyoshi walks back to the clubroom, brainstorming how the hell is gonna get Kagami alone, in order to talk to him, without the whole team eavesdropping. However, when he opens the door it’s only Kagami who is left packing his belongings.

 _Perfect_.

Kiyioshi is grateful that he now has an excuse to bring up Kuroko without it sounding like the younger boy put him up to it. Which is only half the truth. He wants to help.

He walks up to Kagami, who is currently buttoning his shirt. His bag is packed, his sports shoes haphazardly thrown into his locker.

Kiyoshi leans back against the lockers. Kagami looks at him and nods silently. Kiyoshi returns the nod.

“Going back alone today?” He asks casually, hands in his pockets. He observes Kagami calmly. The other boy looks calm enough aside from the tense line of his shoulders.

“Yeah.” He answers, and closes his locker, finally done with his uniform shirt. There is a moment of silence and Kiyoshi means to ask why, even though he perfectly knows why, but that is why he came here for.

But then Kagami gathers all his thoughts and speaks.

“Things have been….weird lately. With Kuroko I mean.” Kiyoshi cocks his head to the side, silently encouraging Kagami to tell him more. But Kagami falls silent and actually looks sheepish.

“Why?” Kiyoshi finally asks, gently, patiently.

“I don’t know.” Kagami answers honestly. He looks at his closed locker for a moment.

“You’ve been avoiding him.” Kiyoshi prompts calmly. Kagami looks at his senpai.

“He told you?”

“Didn’t need to. I have eyes you know.” He smiles reassuringly.

“Right.” Kagami muses.

“Kagami.” Kiyoishi interrupts his thought. “Tell me what is wrong between you two. It can’t affect the team you know?” Kagami looks guilty. Kiyoshi feels bad, because this thing they were having didn’t actually affected their team play in any way. But if it takes little guilt tripping to get Kagami talking he will do it.

“I know. I just….” He pauses for a moment, raising his fist like he wants to punch the locker. He doesn’t. Instead he cuffs himself on the forehead.

“I know.” He repeats a little louder. “He just…He frustrates me so much. I can’t look at him for some reason. Or talk to him like I used to.”

“You had a falling out?”

“No…no I don’t think so…” Kagami scratches the back of his neck. “It’s been weird since last week actually. After practice. It started when….” Kagami stops and his eyes widen. He doesn’t look at Kiyoshi, but Kiyoshi knows what Kagami is remembering. He’s remembering his stupid joke during practice. And how he tripped himself, practically running away from them and from Kuroko especially. And how he couldn’t take his water bottle. Or how he pointedly didn’t sit next to him on the bench. And probably other little details Kiyoshi wasn’t able to witness.

Kagami puts his hands flat on his locker and takes a big gulp of breath.

“Oh my god.” He wheezes. “I’m….I’m….I’m….”

Kiyoshi is next to him in an instant.

“Kagami. Kagami calm down.” He maneuvers him onto the bench. “Breathe Kagami, just breathe.” He orders him and the boy starts to take bigger gulps of air. After a few moments he starts breathing normally. Kiyoshi almost panicked himself. He didn’t expect such a reaction. Anger and confusion? Yes. Embarrassment? Definitely. But a mini panic attack? Not really. Nor from  _Kagami_  of all people.

“Do you want me to go get a nurse for you?” Kiyoshi asks. Kagami shakes his head.

“No. Thanks, but no. I would have to…explain.” His hands are shaking.

“Oh my god.” He hides his face in them. “Senpai.” Kagami looks at his hands. They are not shaking now. At least not visibly.

“I think….I think I might be….” Kiyoshi wants to laugh. Just a bit. He wanted to say  _I know. I know It’s okay_. Kagami was so dense sometimes. At least when it came to everything which wasn’t basketball. Kagami never finishes the sentence, the words stuck in his throat.

They sit for a while in silence. Kiyoshi tentatively speaks.

“You know, there is nothing to be ashamed of.” He pauses for a moment. “No matter what people tell you.” Kagami looks at Kiyoshi, and he notices how he’s simultaneously pale and flushed.

Suddenly Kiyoshi thinks that this wasn’t a very good idea. But he can’t back down now.

“Really.” He tries reassuring. Kagami runs his hands through his face and hair.

Silence again.

Well it wouldn’t do anything good for the other boy if he said that he knew the answer, or at least he suspected, way before him.

Kagami however couldn’t seem to get the word out. So Kiyoshi took pity on him.

“I assume you were never interested in another guy?”

“N-no.” Kagami stuttered.

“You should tell him.” Kiyoshi decides that he shouldn’t beat around the bush anymore. Kagami whips his head and looks at him stunned.

“No way!” His face is pale, his eyes wild and….

 _Terrified?_ Of what? Kiyoshi wonders.

“Kagami.” He tries calmly. “What are you afraid of? That he would hate you? Or that he will reject you?” Kagami looks stunned.

“Wha- reject….what are you talking about?” He flushes slightly. Kiyoshi looks at him.  _So he doesn’t even suspect_.

“I never thought about…”

Of course he didn’t. For a boy who spent his whole sixteen years of life caring only about basketball and food and maybe some friends it must have been quite a shock.

“Kagami. It’s okay. I won’t judge you.” Kagami nodded. Kiyoshi stands up. “I still think you should tell him.”

“Why?” Kiyoshi looks at Kagami for a moment.  _They are both kinda dense_. He thinks.

He shrugs. “You never know. Besides, he’s your friend. He deserves to know. And you need to clear that awkward atmosphere.”

“Right.” Kagami bows his head.

Kiyoshi sighs.

“I’ll be going now. You sure, you don’t want to see the nurse?”

“No. I’m…I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Kiyoshi takes his school bag.

“See you.”

“Yeah.”

 

* * *

 

Later that day Kiyoshi remembered that he had to text Kuroko about his chat with Kagami. He wondered what he should write. He didn’t want to be too enigmatic. But he also didn’t want to basically say  _Hey, Kuroko your partner is kinda gay and probably has a crush on you._

It’s kind of cute really. That they started falling for each other at the same time. Well, sans Kagami’s panic attack. That freaked him out today, probably more than if freaked out Kagami himself.

He took his phone out and considered what he should write.

_Hey, Kuroko. I’ve talked to your partner. I’m not sure I should tell you the specifics, but I think you can work things out on your own. I also think you should talk to him tomorrow._

After a moment he added.

_In the storage room preferably._

Wasn’t this a bit too much? Nah. He needed to be as clear as possible. Kuroko was usually a clever kid, but Kagami did infect him with his stupid sometimes.

Satisfied, he clicked send.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Kiyoshi wasn’t at practice, because he had an appointment at the doctor. It was a     routine checkup of his knee, but he had to go anyway. As it was, he saw Kagami and Kuroko exactly three times that day.

The first time was before the long break, when he was going to the canteen to buy some juice from the vending machine. He was walking past their classroom and he curiously looked inside. He didn’t step in however.

Kagami was sitting at his desk, fiddling with his phone. The moment Kiyoshi looked in Kuroko stood up from his own desk and approached his partner.

“Kagami-kun.” He began. “We need to talk.” Kagami looked at Kuroko from the corner of his eye.

“About what?”

Kuroko tensed for a moment. Kiyoshi didn’t stay longer to listen to their conversation. He would just text or call one or the other later to ask how it went.

When he was returning from the canteen, he stopped to get some melon bread for later. He had to change his route, because students from another class were moving some tables in the hallway.

Kiyoshi decided to make a detour. He took the stairs to the third floor. He wanted to reach the stairs from the other side, and get down near his classroom on the second floor.

Just as he was passing the storage room he heard some muffled voices.

_No way._

He quickly hid behind the corner just when the door to the storage room was opening. He peeked and just as he expected he saw his two underclassmen walking out. They were a little flushed, clothes a little rumpled and hair in disarray. Especially Kuroko’s.

Well. That didn’t take long for them to ‘talk’. Also, he didn’t expect for Kuroko to actually take his suggestion.

“We should go back to class.” Kuroko sensibly pointed out.

“Yeah I know.” Kagami straightened his shirt a bit. “Your hair’s a mess.” He snorted and walked up to the shorter boy.

Kuroko furrowed his brow. “Who’s fault is it?” Kagami grinned and ruffled his hair.

Kuroko wanted to swat his hands away. “Wait no. Let me.” Kagami said and then really tried to tame Kuroko’s wild locks.

He paused when Kuroko was more or less presentable. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around Kuroko’s shoulders and hugged him. Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow.

“Kagami-kun, you’re smothering me.” Kuroko mumbled from the area of Kagami’s chest.

“Sorry.” He said and loosened his hold. Kuroko reluctantly wrapped his hands around Kagami’s torso.

“We really should go.” Came Kuroko’s muffled words, but he didn’t move.

Kagami leaned back a bit to look down at the shorter boy. Kiyoshi’s eyes widened when Kagami stared leaning down.

Suddenly a broom fell from the storage room and broke the mood.

The two boys jumped apart and Kiyoshi again hid behind the corner. He smothered a laugh. When Kuroko and Kagami were busy hiding the utensils back in the storage room, Kiyoshi quickly walked away not wanting to peek anymore. Well maybe a little. That’s when he looked behind his shoulder he saw Kuroko tiptoeing.

That was the second time.

The third time was when he was returning from the appointment. Riko sent him a text, requesting that he come back to school. She was worried about his knee and wanted to be up to date with all the news. Kiyoshi smiled fondly at his phone.

The sun was almost setting when he was entering the gate. The school premises were practically deserted; the majority of the students already gone.

He was typing a text back to Riko when he saw them walking from the school building. Kagami and Kuroko were talking; it seemed that everything was mostly back to normal.

Mostly, because now they were also holding hands.

 _Well_.

“Hey!” He called them and they both instantly whipped their heads in his direction.

“Senpai!” Kagami squeaked. Yes actually  _squeaked_ , and tried to wring his hand from Kuroko’s, like it was on fire. Kuroko however kept holding onto him with a surprisingly firm grip.

Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow. If he ever wondered who had/would have the upper hand in this relationship, he didn’t anymore.

“I see everything has been worked out?”

“Yes. Thank you for your care.” Kuroko replied politely. When Kagami didn’t say anything, Kuroko elbowed him in the side.

“Uhh. Yeah. Thanks senpai.” He mumbled and shot Kuroko a dirty look.

Kiyoshi really wanted to laugh. They were still bickering, even when they were holding hands or hugging. But, he supposed that’s how they were supposed to be.

“How was the appointment?” Kuroko asked.

“Fine. No complications.” Kiyoshi grinned. Kuroko and Kagami send him relived smiles.

“Coach is still in the club room.” Kuroko offered.

“Thanks.” Kiyoshi smiled and headed for the gym.

“Oh and by the way, Kagami.” He started.

“Hm?” The boy in question turned to face him.

“Don’t stay up too late on a school night, okay?” Kagami cocked his head, clueless.

_Oh damnit._

“And this time really do use protection.” Kagami sputtered, red-faced while Kiyoshi patted him on the shoulder.

“See you.” He called back to them, but Kagami was angrily spewing some English gibberish and Kuroko tried to calm him down.

He was still laughing under his breath when he entered the club room. Riko looked up from her notebook.

“You are awfully cheery. Did the doctor say anything good?” Kiyoshi grinned.

“The usual.” He shrugged. Riko raised an eyebrow.

“So what amused you so greatly?”

“Nothing. It’s just that.” He paused for a moment. “Izuki’s puns are really funny sometimes. And true.”

Riko raised her other eyebrow.

“Whatever. Weirdo.  Show me the results.”

“Yes, coach.” 


End file.
